FED:Gillard backs women in combat

AAP General News (Australia)
04-12-2011
FED:Gillard backs women in combat

By Max Blenkin, AAP Defence Correspondent

CANBERRA, April 12 AAP - Prime Minister Julia Gillard has voiced strong support for
women taking on military combat roles to allow them to fight and if necessary die for
their country.

It's a view shared by Defence Minister Stephen Smith, who said women could even serve
in elite special forces, provided they demonstrate the intellectual and physical capability.

But Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick doubted there would
be any surge of women into frontline infantry units because of the very stressful physical
requirements.

The debate on women in combat roles has simmered for decades.

It surged again on Monday when Mr Smith announced that Australian Defence Force (ADF)
chief Angus Houston would speed the opening up of its roles to women.

Ms Gillard backed that move.

"A few years ago I heard (former defence chief General) Peter Cosgrove say that men
and women should have an equal right to fight and die for their country," she told reporters.

"I think he's right about that, and I think it's a good turn of phrase. It puts the
choice very starkly."

Ms Gillard said many Australian women loved their country and wanted to be in the defence force.

"If a woman has the physical capability and intellectual capability to do a particular
job then I do not believe it should be denied her on the basis of gender," she said.

Mr Smith said women could even serve in special forces provided they demonstrated the
right stuff.

"That'll be a decision that'll be made on the basis of capacity, not on the basis of
sex," he said.

Ms Broderick said she hoped a woman would one day lead the defence force.

"It will send a strong message that men and women will have equality in terms of opportunity
for jobs," she said.

The 57,000-strong permanent uniformed ADF now comprises 14.5 per cent females, a figure
which has slowly but steadily risen.

Women can serve in 93 per cent of defence jobs and are barred only from roles which
could take them into direct combat. Women are able to serve in army infantry, armour,
artillery and special forces, navy clearance divers and RAAF airfield guards.

Women can pilot jet aircraft and serve aboard submarines. They can also serve in a
wide range of combat support roles, including in the field in Afghanistan.

Australia Defence Association executive director Neil James said in that regard Australia
was ahead of the US and UK and even Israel, often regarded as the benchmark for women
in combat roles.

But we lag behind Canada and perhaps New Zealand.

"There are two extremes to this debate. There is a belief by social conservatives and
some very old veterans that there should be no women in the frontline," Mr James said.

"The opposite extreme is the belief by some first-generation feminists that every job
should be open to all women in all circumstances, even at the cost of disproportionate
female casualties compared to men.

"There is a logical middle ground underlying current policy."

Mr James said the current practice could be tweaked by following Canada and allowing
females to serve in field and air-defence artillery.

"Whether we should have women serving in line infantry positions should continue to
be an evidence-based decision, not the result of emotive calls from people who do not
understand all the risks involved," he said.

AAP mb/sb/mp/nb

KEYWORD: DEFENCE WOMEN WRAP

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